


Don't Look Back

by espark



Category: The Battle of Polytopia (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Imperius, Polytopia, Spooky, polaris - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:47:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27164074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/espark/pseuds/espark
Summary: The air grew cold and still around the Imperius soldier. The troops around him stopped and peered into the distance. Something was coming.The legion commander shouted, “Retreat! Make for the city and don’t look back.”
Kudos: 1





	Don't Look Back

The sharp smell of blood hung over the battlefield and a horn sounded from behind the Imperius soldier. A warrior in tan furs slashed at him. He held up his shield, blocking the blow at the last second and sending his foe sprawling back. An arrow with blue fletching shot out from the forest behind the soldier, lodging in the enemy’s throat. As his opponent clutched his bleeding neck and dropped to the ground, the horn sounded again.

The 2nd Republic Legion had been struggling against the Polaris invaders all day. The battle was supposed to be called the Conquest of Kings with Imperius doing the conquering. However, the Imperius ranks had been cut down and the stream of Polaris troops had not stopped.

The air grew cold and still around the soldier. The troops around him stopped and peered into the distance. Something was coming. 

The legion commander shouted, “Retreat! Make for the city and don’t look back.”

Blood pounded in the soldier’s veins. He turned and ran with the rest of his squad for the security of the city walls. 

“ _Don’t look back. Don’t look back_ ,” he heard the commander’s words echo in his head, like a drum beat.

One of his comrades twisted to look behind and screamed in terror, then dropped to the ground.

The soldier forced himself to look ahead, towards the shining white walls of the city and the safety they promised.

_Don’t look back. Don’t look back._

He tripped, landing face first in the dirt, tasting grit and blood. He heard screams behind him and scrambled to his feet.

_Don’t look back. Don’t look back._

He made it to the city gates just as the heavy wooden doors slammed shut. He pounded on the door, his fist scraping against the raw wood.

“Let me in! Please!”

The temperature dropped and he heard a crack, like ice creeping across a frozen pond. He heard a noise behind him, like the howl of a snowstorm. He turned to look…

And woke up.

He bolted upright in his bedroll in the military camp, panic surging through his body. It was still the night and his comrades were sleeping noisily around a dim campfire. The full moon bathed the forest in soft silver glow. Insects hummed in the clam forest around him. Tomorrow would be the Conquest of Kings. It was just a nightmare.

Adrenaline buzzed through his brain, so he got up and decided to walk off his nerves. He picked his way past the sleeping forms of his fellow soldiers and headed for the creek. An owl hooted overhead, a soft sound like a blanket sliding over the night.

He stooped down and splashed some of the creek water on his face, hoping to wash away the nightmare.

Then the forest stilled. The sounds of the night insects suddenly stopped. A shiver ran through him as a cold breeze caressed his skin. A crack from the creek cut through the silence. The water under his hands hardened, the stream turning to ice before his eyes.

The soldier scrambled to his feet. He turned away from the icy creek. He needed to return to the army camp and the safety of his troop. A shadow loomed in the moonlight, giant antlers on an angular head.

He looked back.

And froze solid.


End file.
